50 Ways to Open Your World to New Possibilities

“To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” ~Unknown

Maybe you feel stuck. Or bored. Or frustrated. It’s not that you don’t like the life you live, it’s just that you suspect there’s something more. Some greater sense of meaning or excitement. New connections. New adventures. New possibilities.

The truth is those possibilities are always within your reach. You may not be able to quit your job or develop new skills by osmosis, but every day contains within it countless opportunities, all dictated by the choices you make.

Some of those choices may seem inconsequential when you face them. They’re the little things, after all. Why not do it how you usually do? Why not stay in your comfort zone when it’s just so comfortable there?

Do it for the possibility. The possibility that if you make one minor change you may set the stage for major fulfillment. Sometimes even the smallest shift in thinking or doing can create the biggest opportunity. Here’s how to get started:

GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD

1. Challenge your beliefs about what you can and can’t do. Maybe you are a good leader.

2.Challenge your ideas about how things should work. Sometimes when you decide how things should be you limit your ability to be effective in the world as it actually is.

3. Have a vision session.Write in a journal, create a video, sketch—anything that lets you explore what excites you most.

7. Turn your focus from something don’t want to something you do want. This allows you to shift your energy from complaining to taking action.

9. Identify the blocks that keep you from breaking a bad habit. Anytime you improve your habits, you pave the path for personal excellence.

10. Forgive someone if you’ve been holding a grudge. Removing that block will open you up where previously you’d shut down.

GET OUT IN THE OPEN

11. Walk to work and open your eyes. You may find a gym you want to join or an organization where you’d like to volunteer.

12.Talk to someone while waiting in lineand ask what they do. You don’t need to wait for a specified event to network.

13.Make an effort to connect with people you pass—smile and make eye contact for a little longer than usual. Being even slightly more open can open up your world.

14. Learn a new skill. Start taking piano lessons or karate classes.

15.Say yes to something you always talk yourself out of—sing karaoke or take a kickboxing class, even you’re afraid of you’ll feel embarrassed.

16. Take a walking lunch. Walk around your neighborhood for a half-hour with no destination in mind, and then eat at your desk when you return. You never know what will happen when you get out without a plan.

17. Volunteer at your local animal shelter or ASPCA chapter.

18. Start something you always assumed it was too late to do. Take gymnastics, learn guitar. If it moves you, get started today. It’s never too late.

19. Take up urban foraging—the act of foraging for “free” fruits and vegetables around your city (where harvesting is sanctioned). According to worldchanging.com, “It saves money (free food!), it reduces waste (all that fruit isn’t rotting on the ground) and it builds community (…by forcing interaction between strangers…).”

20. Join an adventure club to try new activities, like white water rafting and rock climbing, and meet new people at the same time.

GET IN WITH PEOPLE

21. Offer to help someone else. Sometimes it’s the best way to help yourself, and not just for the warm fuzzy feeling it provides. You never know what you’ll learn through the process.

22. Carpool to work. This gives you a chance to get to know coworkers better—good for socialization, and possibly good for your career.

23. Compliment a stranger on something you notice. Everyone likes to be appreciated, and it’s a great way to start a conversation.

24. Take pictures of things you find interestingthat other people might not notice. When you’re trying to frame the smiley face of leftover food on your plate, people will naturally want to ask what you’re doing. (I know this from experience).

25. Do something you enjoy alone. Go to a museum or read a book in the park. You’re more accessible when you’re not engulfed in a crowd, making it easier for new people to approach you.

26. Wear an interesting T-shirt, something funny or nostalgic. You likely won’t get through a day wearing a Gem or Alf shirt with at least one conversation with someone new!

27.Move one of your friends into a new pool. Take one from the “we keep things light and casual” pool into the “we share our dreams and confide each other” pool. Research shows people who have five or more close friends describe themselves as happy.

28. Bring enough lunch to share with other people at work—particularly childhood favorites. Nothing bonds like shared nostalgia.

29. Pay attention to other people’s body language and expressions so you can offer assistance when they seem to need it.

30. Help someone else get out of their comfort zone. You just may set the precedent that you challenge each other in your friendship.

GET INTO YOUR WORK

31.Show up a half-hour early or leave thirty minutes late. You’ll get more done, you may impress your boss, and you might open yourself up to opportunities for growth, particularly if your coworkers aren’t around.

32.Speak up in a meeting, even if you don’t feel confident or you’re afraid you’ll be embarrassed. Your ideas can only take shape if you put them out there.

33.Hold your meeting outside. People work and engage differently in new environments, particularly when they can feel sunlight on their faces.

34. Hold a meeting standing up. This will most likely make it shorter, meaning you’ll be more efficient and create more time to work on something else.

49. Become a host on Airbnb if you have a room to rent; it’s a great way to meet new people and earn a little extra cash!

There’s a lot of information here—way more than you can tackle all at once. But it’s more about quality than quantity. Even just one small change can have a ripple effect into every area of your life. Of course it’s up to you to decide what’s possible.

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Any one of these has the capacity to change a life. With the list of 50 you have provided a challenge and opportunity for anyone to really open up their world.For the brave…it's a year's worth of adventure. Take each one and do it for a week…imagine the possibilities! Yee haw!

Thanks for the inspiration, Lori! I like the name card idea and will want to act on it soon. I’d also like to find a mentor and mentor someone in return. Talking to strangers while waiting in line isn’t something I’m ready though. I’ll probably give someone a shock as Asians are still quite a shy lot. This article of yours reminds me of one of my stories on the conscious life. You may want to take a look. 🙂 Cheers.

pramit

One way to start anew is to let go of many things. Why must our lives be gauges by things we own. I say you start with simplifying your life.

I just found your site through Twitter and Moksha Yoga in Victoria following you – and I love your posts – thank you so much for all the time you are taking to write here – very inspirational and thought-provoking – I am going to add you to my blogroll on my site, hope that is okay. Carolyne

My dream/goal is to learn more software so I can get a grasp on this web designing! Already great with the photoshop, but lynda.com is awesome for tutorials, and has info videos on creatives/agencies, helping me get more skills!! PLus I talk to people everywhere, living in Chicago, people are defensive so when you come across one that smiles back & strikes up a convo, kind of fun-well as long as they're not crazy ;o)Love your posts!! Alway right on with my life!

Gaetano

We should be the masters of our lives! Whatever happens in our life we can't oppose! So let's be carefull, and put graet energy to reach what we rely want!!!

Hey Lori , awesome leanings. To just add to the list- 1) Spending time with young people makes one feel young too. So hang out moreoften with youngsters and look out for opportunities to make their world a better place. 2) Draw, paint,sing,dance,or do whatever comes naturally to you.3) Pray like there is no tomorrow and surrender to the divine force 🙂

This is my second visit to this blog. We are starting a brand new initiative in the same niche as this blog. Your blog provided us with important information to work on. You have done a admirable job..

Good theme here, we should all get out of our comfort zone to grow. I like #15 Say yes to something you always talk yourself out of. I just think it is a good exercise for your spirit. Our spirit needds to go to the gym too.

This is absolutely brilliant! I am going to try one of these everyday and see how each of these gems will change my life for the better. You are an absolutely beautiful person Lori and i am so grateful and thankful to the universe for bringing me to your site. You don’t know how much of a positive impact your website has had on my life.

Keep doing the work your doing,with stress on the rise and mental health in jeopardy due to today’s fast paced modernised society, reading content from your website is so essential for a healthy body and mind. I am now following you on twitter and i just tweeted to you.

Wishing you nothing but abudance and joy in your life and future endeavours,

This is a great list. I’ve felt depressed sice I realized that every day is monotonous. I was told it is impossible to do something new every day, but does that mean that I have to do the same things every day? With no distinguishing differences? I hope not. Thanks for these ideas:)

You’re most welcome Tori. I’m not a big fan of routine and monotony, so I can definitely relate!

Soultuality

I agree Mike, It’s a year of adventure. I have recently started running, yoga and blogging. Just three of the things I want to learn and be good at this year. Its amazing how much progress we can make if we just brake it down to small chunks.

I guess I am taking Lori’s advice to, start something you always assumed it was too late to do. I’m not as young as I once was but it is never too late to start again.

What a great list to print out and highlight the ones to accomplish first! TinyBuddha has made a tremendous difference in my life in just a few short months…sad to think how amazing my life could be by now if I had read this article in 2010 when originally published! Better late than never, I suppose! Thanks, Lori!

I echo Mia’s sentiments. Thank you, Lori. Tiny Buddha is my go to for daily support and inspiration. These articles and the forum have given me countless gifts. I’m so grateful for you, tiny Buddha and the community it has brought together!

For me, new possibilities discovering always starts with partying with friends, it helps to relax ant to look into world with new colours 🙂 We even have a list of places where it is the best to go, you can see it here- Klubai
Vilniuje 🙂 I strongly recommend you to start actually from this point if you wanna to change your life 🙂

Yasir Khalid

Trafalgar 24 is an amazing encounter in guerilla playwriting. You have no choice but to generate something anything, because it will be conducted the next evening.

Super list! Especially liked Point 20: Join an adventure club to try new activities and 46: friend trade. It is all about just going out and DOING! We are in the beginning of building an internet community to overcome the first but very hard step of getting your courage together to actually go. Have a look, the link is above! Meetup or Lifehacker are also good sites to get further inspiration! Have a beautiful day!

KC

Lori, I dont think that stat about only 6% of the world speaks English is correct.

who am i ? what is hidden in myself ? why should i follow others theory and go in the same track ? can’t science have an another side? am i born just to live earn , enjoy n die ? is there a meaning for life ? where are we going in blind ? why people war people ? if we are born good envirnoment changes us why can’t we be a change for the environment ?

Mike R

This list is a breeze of fresh air.
Precisely nowadays I cannot feel more identified with how the article starts (feeling bored and stuck without precisely disliking my life). I’ve been feeling so “nothing new or exciting happens with my working life” that the lack of satisfaction makes me feel quite sad and worried.
I’ll start being hands-on with some of your suggestions, Lori.
Thanks.

You’re most welcome, Mike. I hope trying some of these things makes life feel a little more exciting!

Rebecca

This is a really great list! One that can certainly help anyone come un stuck or move beyond their own boundaries and self limitations. Thank you for taking the time to write this!

rt

Wonderful list Lori and it will be one I will print and tick off,thank you. I’m trying to re-build my life after leaving a marriage of nearly 30 years by, being open to as many new possibilities which will make me happy and help me get to where I want. Learn new skills to find work, start a hobby which will take me out of my head and into life and try to find places to make new friends. Everything is possible when you stay open to life:)

You’re most welcome! I’m glad this was helpful to you, and I wish you much growth, passion, and joy as you embark on this new chapter in your life. =)

Justin Burton

Wow!! So moving, and honestly something I’m very happy to have come across. Just in a point of my life where I know that I’m not living up to my full potential and just having a hard time deciding how to move forward. Many tell me I’m young and have plenty of time, while that may be true, starting now will allow me to live a full, wonderful life that I strive to live. How can I connect more with this and others in my shoes or have already been here and moved forward?

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